


Agent Mardex

by insaneinlv



Series: Agent Mardex [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: ...but not officail yet, Do with that information what you will, F/M, Multiple Books, Slowest slow burn in the history of slow burns, really not sure how to classify Loki and Sophia at this point, theyre VERY friendly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-12
Updated: 2018-05-12
Packaged: 2019-05-03 04:28:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 16,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14560869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/insaneinlv/pseuds/insaneinlv
Summary: Sophia Mardex was a young woman who was picked off of the streets by Natasha Romanoff. She left her life as a thief for a life as an agent of SHIELD. The Avengers changed her life, and expanded her horizons, as far as her circle of friends went.The Avengers decide that Sophia is the perfect person to keep an eye on Loki while they go on a mission to Asgard, the purpose of which, they will not tell her.Sophia meets Loki, and the two get along well, to the surprise of both, and of everyone around them. But the more time Sophia spends with the god of mischief, the more fearful she becomes. She isn’t scared of Loki and what he can do. She’s afraid of herself, and the emotions she begins to feel for him.Before leaving, Natasha, her adoptive mother, tells Sophia the number one rule of guarding the villain:Do not fall in love with him.The more Sophia gets to know Loki, the more she realizes that she is breaking that rule.





	1. Background checks

**Author's Note:**

> Fair warning: This is an alternate universe. Definition: My game, my rules. The timeline is all screwy. This takes place before dark world, in all technicality. But, other characters are present, Vision, Wanda, Sam, who in the actual MCU wouldn’t be there yet. Follow along, and don’t ask questions you don’t wanna know the answer to.  
> Other change you should be aware of: I love Jarvis to bits and pieces and would readily sacrifice Vision to get him back (sorry, buddy). Here, we met in the middle and made it as if Tony had made another Jarvis. I understand it’s not that simple, but if I can bend time and space to do my bidding, I can have Jarvis and Vision in the same story, you’re welcome.  
> Also, I mentioned this earlier, but during this book, I'm not quite ready to say that Sophia and Loki are a "couple." If anyone saw them together, they would be confident that they were, but Sophia and Loki would disagree, so... yeah.  
> I am relatively new to this website, as I've only posted one other one shot, but my rule is that I am not allowed to post any unfinished story, otherwise I'll never finish it, and I don't want to make Robert Downey Jr. Sad.  
> Enjoy!  
> -insaneinlv out!

“You’re sure this is the right girl?” Tony looked through the files skeptically.  
“Yes.” Natasha was with him, “She’s resourceful, stubborn, and isn’t afraid to stoop to get the job done. Besides, I’ve known her for a long time. Trust me, she’s exactly who we need.”  
“But look, she’s one of the guy’s fangirls. She full on ADMITS that she doesn’t hold Loki responsible for taking over earth.” Tony pulled up the paper the girl had written about Loki’s innocence. Tony thought it was ridiculous.  
“But she defends her statement with logical arguments and solid facts: pictures, connections, and observations. I’m not saying I believe her, but she is not one of his mindless fangirls that love him just because he’s pretty.” Natasha continued to defend her friend, “I’m not saying you should trust her just yet, but, well, you’ll see what I mean when you meet her.” She closed everything and turned from the screen.  
“Oh I’m sure.” Tony crossed his arms, “I’m sure.” He waited until Romanoff was gone to conduct some research of his own.  
“Jarvis?”  
“Yes sir.”  
“What can you tell me about this Sophia Mardex gal?” Tony poured himself another cup of coffee.  
“Agent Romanoff seems to think incredibly highly of her.” Jarvis pulled up records, files, and pictures of the girl. She had been very involved with SHIELD and often worked with Romanoff, but behind the scenes, being her informant, navigator, and voice from the outside, once she was in a mission. Some would call her, “the girl in the chair.” That wasn’t to say that she was afraid to get her hands dirty. She was heavily trained in combat by Black Widow herself, and if she needed backup, was always ready to help.  
“Yeah, I know she does, I want to know why… What does Barton think of her?” Tony scrolled through her files, flicking them off the screen one by one; the only thing against her was her apparent desire for Loki to receive mercy.  
“His only official connection to her is through agent Romanoff. There is only one note of recommendation by him to Director Fury, which is recommending her as Romanoff’s main informant. Everyone seems to think that their strong connection is dangerous.” Jarvis explained while pulling up said letter.  
“Now why would she need a note of recommendation?” Tony mused.  
“Perhaps it is due to her age, sir.”  
“And what’s that?”  
“It is unclear, as no one is sure of her birthdate, including the girl herself.”  
“So? Shield’s got scientists. Do they not care enough to check on their workers? Seems like kind of sloppy work.” Tony took a sip of his drink.  
“They did, sir, and they found that her current age is around nineteen years of age.”  
Tony nearly spat out his coffee,  
“Nineteen! No wonder she needed a note of recommendation! Man, Hawkeye and Romanoff must’ve slathered everything in sugar for them to let her in at the delicate age of nineteen.”  
“No, sir, she was not let in at age nineteen. She was seventeen when she began work as a secretary for SHIELD. She quickly rose in rank, until she became Romanoff’s informant.”  
Tony shook his head in disbelief. How on earth was a nineteen year old girl supposed to keep a god in check for who knows how long?


	2. interrogations

Sophia entered the Avengers tower in awe. But she knew better than to show it. Of course, she had learned everything from Natasha, and she knew that she had to feign being older and wiser than she was. And no sob stories. Sometimes it made sense to tell people that Natasha had found her on the streets, or, more correctly, that she had found Natasha on the streets, and stolen from her. She grabbed her gun, and held her at its end, demanding money. Of course, Natasha beat her easily, but she was impressed. She took in the girl, and trained her for about a year before asking Fury to give her a place in SHIELD. Sophia had made a 180 degree turnaround, going from a thief and a cheat, to an honest and kind agent that wasn’t afraid to get her hands dirty if it meant helping her friends.  
But a story like such here would not help her case. As far as her involvement in the Avengers, she helped decide who should be in the program. Mainly that Tony should be in it. No one had really given Tony a background check, they all just assumed that he was too conceited to be a part of a team. But Sophia had looked at his past, seen that he had improved, noticed his recent appointment of Pepper Potts as the new CEO of Stark industries, and noticed that he had recently worked with Lieutenant Rhodes. Teamwork and loyalty was what the Avengers needed, and Tony had that.  
Did the team have their bumps? Of course, but every team does. And what would’ve happened had Tony not become a part of the Avengers? How about the destruction of New York and then the world?  
So yeah. She was proud of her work. And now she was meeting the Avengers. She wasn’t sure why. Natasha didn’t say.  
Everyone was there. Nat, Rogers, Stark, Banner, Barton, even the latest addition: Scarlet Witch, otherwise known as “the twin.” Only Thor, Vision, and Rhodes were absent.  
Everyone stood over her on a raised platform, and she felt like she was being interrogated.  
‘Well, follow Nat’s advice: Turn the interrogations right back at the interrogators. Feign helplessness, or, maybe that wouldn’t work in this situation, then feign submission. Yeah. Feign submission.’  
She let her shoulders sink slightly and her face fall just a bit. Her quick steps slowed to a stop, as if her excitement had suddenly drained. Rogers stepped forward,  
“Sophia Mardex. We have called you here for a sort of job interview.”  
Sophia kept still.  
“We are searching for an appropriate agent to keep an eye on something while we are gone.”  
“Where will you be going?” she asked, though she knew the answer already.  
“That is on a need-to-know basis.” Tony stepped forward.  
“Then how far?” She lowered her request.  
“Far.” Tony decided that he could give a vague answer to that question. She saw Natasha flinch. That was a trick she had taught Sophia. Ask an unreasonable request, and then back off a bit. She wanted and idea of where they would be, and if she had just asked how far they would be, Tony probably would have denied her any answer, explicit or vague. But since she made an unreasonable request first, Tony found it more reasonable to give a vague answer to her original desire.  
“We have all reviewed your records, and there is but one thing that stands against you.” Rogers continued.  
‘Here it comes.’ She thought to herself.  
“Your defense of Loki. Why do you claim him to be innocent?”  
Sophia blinked. She was expecting much worse. Did Natasha really grant her that much secrecy?  
“Sir, I did a background check on Loki as soon as I heard we had captured him. Thor’s account of his brother to Jane gave me all the information I needed to know that this was strange. One thing in particular stood out: His eyes. Thor described them to be a deep green, not bright blue. Well. You all read the report? It explains my logic and train of thought.” She tried not to sound triumphant.  
“Yes, we all have read it, and it disturbs us greatly. If he were taken over, and threatened the globe, if you alone could stop him, but it meant his death, would you? Would you kill an innocent man, to save the world?” Rogers asked with urgency in his voice.  
Sophia almost laughed, “Sir. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. I would.”  
Steve nodded to the others and they turned around.  
“Wanda, what do you sense in her?” Steve turned to Scarlet Witch.  
“She is determined, and excited. Her words are honest, but there is something she is not telling us. Something about her past.”  
“There are things in my past that I’m not proud of.” Natasha said.  
“Why are you always defending her, Nat?” Tony asked, “I don’t trust her.”  
“Oh, and your past is pure white, isn’t it, Tony?” Clint turned to the billionaire. Tony opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He closed it again.  
“We all have to be one hundred percent on board with this, guys.” Steve looked at his friends, “Banner, you haven’t said a word. What do you think of the girl?”  
“Well…” he was deep in thought, “I’m kind of with Tony on this one.”  
“See, I told ya!”  
“But not for the same reasons. Tony, why don’t you trust her?” Banner looked up.  
“Well, guys, she’s nineteen! She is on Loki’s side, and, frankly, I don’t think she’s up to the challenge.” Tony crossed his arms indignantly.  
Everyone spoke at once.  
“How did you find out she’s nineteen?” Natasha pressed.  
“Hey, she never said she was on Loki’s side, in fact, she showed that she was on ours by saying that she would sacrifice him, even if he was innocent, for the safety of the world.” Barton defended her.  
“I can read her thoughts, and she is up to the task.” Scarlet Witch added to the chaos.  
“Guys, guys, stop. We cannot be divided on this.” Steve quieted everyone down.  
“Cap, look at her!” Tony ignored his rebuke, “She’s as scrawny as you were before you got the serum! Do you think you could’ve taken down half of Hydra with just your bare hands, a scrap of metal, and your determination alone?”  
“She is not taking down half of Hydra.” Steve tried to stay calm.  
“Excuse me, I trained her myself, and she can hold her own in hand-to-hand combat.” Natasha was ignored by the two bickering men.  
“She may as well be taking on Hydra! Loki’s a god! dangit, Steve, not even you could take him down; none of us could! It took the mean-green-Hulk-smashing machine to finally knock Loki out! And even then, he was just dazed a little!”  
“Woah, woah, Tony.” Banner stood in between Tony and Steve, “It sounds that your main problem with Sophia, is her physical inability to control Loki. What if you made her a suit?”  
“Did you miss the part where I said that none of us could take down Loki?” Stark rolled his eyes. Bruce took a deep breath, and calmed himself.  
“The other guy knocked Loki out, and Veronica knocked him out. What if we adjusted the Hulk-buster suit to fit her?”  
Tony blinked once. He blinked twice. He opened his mouth and closed it again.  
“Erm, that might work.” He rubbed the back of his neck in humiliation.  
“There we go.” Bruce sighed, “Compromise reached, Cap. You’re welcome.”  
“So we all agree? Sophia is the right person for the job?”  
Everyone nodded.  
“Alright.”


	3. The number one rule...

“Ok, Shortstop, you understand your job?” Stark was walking Sophia through the Avengers tower, helping lock things up before they left.  
“Babysit Loki for Thor. Got it.”  
“You got Vanessa’s number? Do I need to run through the controls one more time?”  
“Tony, I’ve had countless lessons. I think I can handle it.”  
“Ok, ok. Do you have my number? Cap’s? Nick’s? Thor’s? Oh wait…”  
“Tony, you’ve got nothing to worry about. Well. Yes you do, but everything will be fine. I’ve been trained for this. When’s Thor coming?”  
“Anytime now. He should be able to give you some insight on Loki. Just be careful about his computer time. He’s got an army on Tumblr.  
So, no Tumblr, no Twitter, and bed by eleven, got it?”  
“Yes, mom.” Sophia rolled her eyes.  
“Ah, here comes the prince of chaos now.”  
“God of mischief.”  
“Same difference.”  
Thor and Loki landed on the roof of Avenger Towers.  
“Greetings, Stark! Is this the agent?” he said, gesturing to Sophia.  
“She seems rather small.” Loki looked down on her.  
“ooooh boy. We’re gonna have a long few days aren’t we, Loki.” Sophia face palmed and shook her head.  
“Now why would you say that?” Loki tilted his head slightly to one side, grinning.  
“A human expression, brother. You will become fluent in them, when your time here is done. I assume that this is the girl then?” Thor turned to Stark.  
“Yup. Got her all covered. Even got her a newer version of Veronica.” Tony nodded firmly.  
“Excellent. Where are the others? This would be a suitable spot to call the bridge.”  
“I’ll call ‘em up.” Tony pulled out his cell and started tapping on it for a moment. Thor turned to Sophia.  
“What is your name?”  
“Sophia Mardex.”  
“I see. Is there anything I can tell you that would aid you in your, erm, protecting of my brother?”  
“Oh brother…” Loki rolled his eyes.  
“Just… anything in general would help. Favorite game, movie, I dunno. We’re gonna have a lot of spare time on our hands.”  
“Loki has not seen any movies. He enjoys reading, horseback riding…” Thor furrowed his brow in thought.  
“Brother, please, this is humiliating as it is.” Loki face palmed.  
“Don’ worry, big guy, there’s awkwardness on both sides.” Sophia sighed.  
“… Don’t ever call me that again.” Loki shook his head.  
“Sure thing.” Sophia shrugged. Loki looked off to one side,  
“Is this another human expression, brother?”  
Thor sighed, “Yes it is. If you do not understand something, do not be too proud to ask. Humans are very willing to share knowledge.”  
Loki nodded thoughtfully.  
“Well. It seems that everything is going smoothly up here. Thor, Loki.” Steve entered the rainbow-bridge pad and nodded to the two gods, who nodded in return.  
“Understand everything, Soph?” Natasha came in behind him and pulled Sophia in a hug.  
“Got everything, mom.”  
“Now what’s the number one rule when guarding the villain?” Nat held Sophia at arm’s length. Sophia laughed and answered,  
“Don’t fall in love with him.”  
“Oh, dear Odin, I hope not.” Loki shuddered.  
“Language, brother.” Thor leaned towards Loki, rebuking him softly.  
“Everyone ready to go?” Clint asked.  
“I think so.” Bruce chimed in.  
Tony suddenly gave a yelp, running back into the tower.  
“I was wondering when he’d realize that he forgot his suit.” Sophia snickered.  
“You knew he would react in such a manner?” Loki asked, bewildered.  
“I didn’t know how he’d react. Oh, Wanda. Help me out here, will ya?” Scarlet Witch was there with Rhodey and Vision to see the Avengers off.  
“How can I help?”  
“Give me a read on this guy, will ya?” Sophia nodded to Loki, who frowned.  
Wanda stared intently at Loki for a minute. She even went up to him and sent a red mist into his head, never breaking their eye contact. Eventually she turned away again. Loki turned to Thor,  
“What was the girl doing?”  
“She is a telepath. She was using her powers to read your thoughts.” Thor answered.  
Loki shuddered.  
“He is not thinking of taking over the world. All he wants is for this humiliating time to end. It is embarrassing to him.” Wanda pulled Sophia off to one side.  
“Anything I can do to make him feel more at ease?” Sophia nodded.  
“Make him feel like he is one of us. Rhodes, Vision and I will stay a while, to help you and Loki adjust to one another.”  
“Kay. Thanks so much, Wanda.”  
Scarlet witch smiled, “Any time, friend. You should apply to join our team.”  
Sophia shook her head sadly, “Let’s talk about that later.”  
Wanda nodded.  
“Alright, relax, everybody, I’m back.” Tony emerged, wearing Mark 43, “Don’t burn the house down, Shortstop. We ready, Thor?”  
Thor nodded and raised his hammer. Everyone gathered around him and Loki stepped off the pad. There was a flash of all sorts of colors, and then they were gone.  
“Alright.” Sophia said firmly, “Let’s get one thing outta the way. Then we can order a pizza and watch a movie or something. I dunno.”  
“I’ll order in. Pepper give you a list of things you can and can’t do?” Rhodey asked.  
“Yup. Sure did. It’s on the fridge. Wanda, go take a look at it with Vision and Rhodey, will ya? Loki and I have something we need to discuss.” Scarlet witch nodded and Vision accompanied her inside.  
“We have something to discuss?” Loki asked.  
“Yup. I want you to meet Vanessa.” She pushed a button on her phone.  
“Vanessa. Is she aiding you in your, um, task?” Loki didn’t notice the loud sound that had begun.  
“Yes. It’s kind of like that. You noticed yourself that I don’t exactly have the physical power to confine you. But with Vanessa’s help, I do. You remember being Hulk smashed?”  
Loki shuddered and nodded.  
“Well, Tony and Bruce designed some armor that Tony could use to neutralize The Hulk if things ever got out of hand.”  
“I see.” Loki nodded, “Tony has given you permission to use this suit on me. Since it is stronger than the Hulk, it is stronger than me.” He laughed.  
“Oh no, Loki.” She shook her head as the suit landed.  
“Tony has made me a suit STRONGER and better suited to you than the Hulk-Buster suit.”  
Loki swallowed. The suit towered above him, and he was standing at a good six foot two. Sophia smiled fondly on the machine and stepped into it, as easily as Tony did. The plates slid into place on her back and the lights in her eyes flickered to life, glowing a bright green. The large circle on her chest hummed and whirred with energy. The suit itself was mostly silver and black, with a bit of cobalt here and there. It was large and powerful, you could see that, but it was not as bulky as the original Hulk-Buster suit, it was slimmed down and much more elegant looking. It was faster and more agile, however, it did not have any extra parts, as Bruce and Tony doubted Loki could remove an arm or a leg, the suit was designed for Loki as much as for Sophia.  
“See what I mean?” A female voice came from the suit. It was as if she were talking through a phone.  
“Loki, this suit was designed for you. All I have to do is get my hand around your ankle and… well, you get the picture.” Sophia had stepped forward and gestured to Loki’s foot, but the god started and backed away, his hand reaching for his belt, where his daggers usually hung. She relaxed and shrugged,  
“But hey. That’s only if you decide to pull some mischief.” She stepped out of the suit and pressed a button on her phone. The suit gained autonomy and flew off.  
“So. What kind of pizza do you like?” She started inside and gestured for Loki to follow.  
“Pizza?” He asked. Thor had said to ask when he did not understand something, and anyway, how much more humiliating could this get?  
“A kind of food we have. It’s amazing. So, we’ll start you off with the traditional: Cheese, pepperoni, and olive. You’ll try some of the more fancy stuff later. Rhodey? How’r we comin’ with that order?” The girl talked first to Loki, then to Rhodes, who was fumbling with a sheet of lined paper.  
“Erm, yeah, just give me a sec, here. You wanted what on your pizza, Wanda?”  
The red-haired girl sighed, “Anchovies, peppers and mushrooms. How hard is this, Rhodes?”  
“Fish on pizza.” Rhodey muttered before pulling out his phone.  
“So, Vision.” Sophia turned to the caped being that was observing a console on the wall.  
“Yes, Agent Mardex?” he abruptly turned to her.  
“Is there something wrong? You seem disturbed.” She crossed her arms and looked up at Vision.  
“Well … this Jarvis… We sound exactly alike…”  
“You’re almost the same person.” Sophia corrected.  
“No… we’re not…” Vision seemed confused, “I am not Jarvis, I am Vision. And hearing my voice is… strange, to say the least.”  
Sophia nodded, understanding, “You know that you and Jarvis are two different beings, but at the same time, it’s weird to hear another entity possess your voice.”  
Vision nodded and Sophia sighed,  
“I know it’s gonna be weird. We’re all stepping a bit out of our comfort zone.” She looked to Loki, who had been clinging to her, and was standing awkwardly beside her, his hands clasped behind his back,  
“And, I would change Jarvis’ voice to make you more comfortable, but… Jarvis is like family to me. He, Tony and Nat trained me for a long time and well… I guess I’ve gotten used to him. Oh, who am I kidding, I’ll change his voice to Friday, and change it back when you leave.” she shook her head and stepped up to the panel. It scanned her fingerprint and obeyed her commands.  
“Friday, standing ready.” A female voice sounded out, and everyone jumped.  
“ ‘ts alright everybody, chill. Friday, wouja cue up Netflix? Thanks.” Loki was weirdly fascinated by this human. She seemed to treat him as if he was one of the group, as if he belonged. To everyone else, he was a god; to her, he was one of the group, god, frost giant, or mortal. He couldn’t understand it.  
Loki had no idea that humans were this fanciful. They watched a movie they called a ‘classic.’ It disgusted Loki. It was not the magic that made the movie fanciful, he could change his appearance just as easily as the fairy godmother did, what disgusted him was the fact that Ella, the main character, could fall in love so quickly. Surely it took longer? He didn’t know. He had no experience in the field, and Odin knows that’d never happen to him. His heart was too cold, too frozen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you couldn't tell, quite a bit of time has taken place in between this chapter, and the previous one. Enough time for Tony and Sophia to become good friends, and we all know how Tony likes to take in smart kids. Will this come back? Probably.  
> Speaking of Sophia's relationship with the other Avengers, the only other thing you need to know as of now, is that Natasha considers herself Sophia's adoptive mother, as she brought her to SHIELD and taught and trained her.
> 
> I got the whole idea of "the number one rule" from the movie "The Wedding Planner" and changed it a bit to fit my story. It took on more of a role in the plot than I anticipated, but it worked out, and I'm happy with it.
> 
> Tony's nickname for Sophia has nothing to do with baseball.


	4. Star Trek and tumblr

After the movie was over, the others stayed for a few minutes, but had to leave before it got too late.  
“Alright, Loki.” Sophia turned to him once she had bade farewell to her friends, “Tony said that we should be in bed by eleven, but are we REALLY gonna listen to him?” she grinned mischievously. Loki grinned back,  
“What are you planning?” he asked.  
“Well,” She turned towards Tony’s huge computer, “I figured we’d check on your army on tumblr.”  
“I have an army?” Loki cocked his head in confusion. He had no memory of gaining another army.  
“Yup. Huge. Full of flipping out fangirls, and believe me, they’d be powerful in battle… maybe I shouldn’t’ve told you that…” she sheepishly added. Loki grinned,  
“You most definitely should not have.”  
“Hey, just remember that Vanessa is a push of a button away.” She glared fiercely at him. Loki only smiled.  
Loki was fascinated and amused at how these human females worshiped him as the god he was. He tried to send a message to them, but Sophia would not let him.  
“Loki, my job is to make sure that you DON’T take over the world. understand? Oh, and if I find out that while I’m not looking, or sleeping, that you DID send a message to them, I’ll kill you. Have fun bathing in the worship.” She raised a hand and walked off.  
“You aren’t going to accompany me?” Loki teased.  
“Ugh.” She made a choking noise and clutched her stomach, “That stuff makes me wanna puke.”  
“Why is that?” Loki smiled.  
“They have no minds.” She pointed a finger to her own head, “They don’t think, all they see is you. You’re right, you know.”  
“About what?” He cocked his head, amused at her disgust.  
“In the end, people like them, anyway, in the end, they will always kneel.” She turned and let him think on that. Loki shrugged and turned back to the computer. He found that she was right. These people worshiped him mindlessly; he liked that, at first. Then he began to miss the equality he felt when with Sophia. She did not worship him, like the girls in the screen, but she did not treat him as a lesser being, like the Avengers did (Except for maybe his brother).  
Loki could hear her messing around in the kitchen as he read the praises erected in his name. She started another movie and about five minutes in, Loki was interested. He turned from the computer and approached her. She didn’t notice. He leaned on the couch and watched the TV intensely.  
“Why is that man so pale?” he asked.  
“He’s an android. A machine created to be human-like.” She didn’t seem surprised to hear him.  
Loki made a face, “He was not very successful.” He promptly received an elbow in the jaw.  
“Shut up, he’s learning. You wouldn’t make a very convincing human either.”  
“Perhaps that is intentional.” Loki rubbed his chin and sat next to Sophia, “I never said that his failed attempt at humanity was a bad thing.”  
Sophia groaned and shook her head. Loki had many other questions about the show, and Sophia never seemed to tire of them, though she did pause the show occasionally, to give Loki a better, more detailed and thought out answer. By the end, Loki thought he was more confused than when he began to watch the show.  
“Is it bad that I’m more confused than ever?” he asked, taking a handful of popcorn from the bowl in Sophia’s lap.  
“No.” She shook her head and laughed.  
“Star Trek is a show that you have to WANT to get into, in order to get into it. But beware, Loki, once you’re in you can’t get out. But, thankfully, you never run out of Star Trek, ever.” She smiled genuinely at him. Loki found the sight strange.  
“Hey, Jarvis, got the time?” She had switched out the voices once Vision had left.  
“It has just reached midnight. Shall I send a report to Mr. Stark that you have disobeyed his request?”  
“Oh, gosh no, Jarvis! I’d never hear the end of it!” she laughed, “Tell ya what. We’ll go to bed now, if you don’t send the message.”  
“Very well.” Jarvis sighed, “Miss, it seems as though I am the one doing the babysitting. Are you sure that you are up to the task? I sometimes wonder why the Avengers chose you.”  
“Gosh, Jarvis, I don’t need you questioning me too.” Sophia sighed and sank into the couch.  
“How dare you question Lady Sophia’s worthiness!” Loki wasn’t even thinking. The statement just came out of his mouth. Sophia’s eyes went wide and she stared at him. A smile slowly spread across her face.  
“Did you- did you just DEFEND me?” She was grinning now, and Loki was blushing.  
“You- he- Jarvis is a machine. He should not question you.” Loki tried to justify his outburst. Sophia laughed,  
“Oh, don’t blame Jarvis. Tony made him to have some spice in his attitude. We’re still friends, right buddy?”  
“Miss, I’m a computer program.”  
“Yeah, yeah, and Loki’s an alien.” She waved her hand dismissively.  
“The statement is true, but I am so much more, mortal! I am a god!” Loki was indignant,  
“Exactly.” Sophia pointed at Loki. He looked at the floor, deep in thought,  
“Ah. You are saying that just as I am more than an alien, Jarvis is more than a computer program.”  
“Yup.” Sophia smiled, “Anyway, the point is, Jarvis is like one of my parents.”  
“One of them?” Loki looked up inquisitively. She nodded,  
“We have one thing in common, Loki: I’m adopted. You know that Natasha found me on the streets and took me in, training me, and enlisting me into shield. Heh. For once, Barton didn’t bring in the newbie.”  
“At least you knew you were adopted. You knew what you were.” Loki grumbled. Sophia shrugged,  
“Hey, I didn’t say that our parents were the same. Anyway, Clint and Nat kind of raised me as their platonic kid, if that makes sense.”  
Loki nodded. He knew of Barton’s family. Sophia continued,  
“And after the Avengers became a team, well, they just sort of adopted me. ‘Cept Thor. He was busy with you.”  
Loki rolled his eyes.  
“Well.” She said, “We’d better get to bed. I’ll show you your room. Jarvis, it’s time for nightlight mode.”  
“Yes, miss.” The lights immediately dimmed, but not so much that you couldn’t see where you were going.  
Loki and Sophia’s rooms were in the guest wing, opposite of each other. They were both exhausted, and fell asleep right away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sophia and Loki check out Tumblr, I assume you all know what that is, and Sophia is a bit of a Star Trek nut. She's watching The Next Generation series in this chapter.


	5. semi-daughter of a billionare

The next day, Loki emerged from his room somewhat dazed. While asleep, he had forgotten that he had come to earth, and he was confused as to where he was. He remembered, much to his embarrassment, when he saw Sophia in the kitchen of the Avenger towers. She was pouring a brown, steaming liquid into two mugs.  
“Ah, the god of sleep awakes. Finally. Listen, o tall one, I need your help.”  
Loki shook his head, “You need me? For what?”  
She pointed to a cupboard, “See that? Tony stashes his donuts on the top shelf, and I can’t reach it. There’s a reason he calls me ‘shortstop.’”  
Loki reached up and felt a large box. He was able to get a grip on it and bring it down. It was filled with various colored pastries.  
“Thanks.” Sophia whipped the container from him and set it on the counter, “Here.” She handed him a mug filled with the hot, brown liquid, “I hear your brother loves this.”  
“What makes you think I will?” Loki grumbled.  
“Okay… not a morning person. That’s fine. Then you’ll love this.” She gestured to the mug.  
Loki smelled it. It smelled rich, yet bitter. He wrinkled his nose in disgust,  
“What is it?” He asked. Sophia rolled her eyes,  
“Just drink it. If you don’t like it, I’ll add some cream and sugar.”  
Cautiously, Loki took a sip. It was hot and bitter, but he found that he did like it. Its flavor was strong and rich. He took another drink.  
“It’s good.” He finally admitted.  
“Now, just so we’re clear, do NOT demolish the mug when you’re done, ok? Just tell me when you want a refill.”  
Loki shrugged, “As you wish.”  
They ate in silence for a while, until Loki spoke up,  
“Sophia, why does Stark call you ‘shortstop’?”  
“Well, it’s cause I’m short. And Tony likes to tease me about it all the time; it’s his nickname for me, even though he’s short too. You’d be surprised how often he has to wear heels in order to have a shred of dignity when standing around Thor and Cap. Are all gods just tall by nature or what?” She took a sip of her drink.  
“What is the purpose of a nickname?” Loki leaned on the table, confused.  
“Well, it’s kind of… I dunno, a name that is special to the owner and speaker, kind of like how Thor calls you brother. I can’t call you that.”  
Loki nodded, “I see.”  
“Yeah, and, Oh gosh!” Sophia started. Loki looked at her in confusion.  
“Goshdarnit, Mardex!” She slapped her forehead. Loki remained silent, waiting for an explanation.  
“Come on.” She walked down to the elevator and beckoned for Loki to follow.  
“Where are we going?” Loki asked as he obeyed her wishes.  
“Well, you’re much taller than Tony, but you’re thinner too. We should be able to find something that’ll fit you. Just for today, don’t worry. I’ll wash the outfit and pray to the gods that he won’t notice. Or, better yet, we’ll just replace the outfit.”  
Then Loki understood. He was still wearing the outfit he had worn to earth. He wouldn’t exactly blend in while wearing a black, floor-length vest and a gold necklace. Besides, after seeing how he was worshiped, yesterday, he was somewhat fearful to go into public.  
“Alright, here we are: The master bedroom.” The elevator opened and a large room was revealed. It was open, and wide. There was a bed in the center of the left wall, and a bathroom was on either side. Two closets lined the other side of the room, and there was a balcony, along with two writing desks. One littered with documents, desk toys, and empty Dr. Pepper cans, the other empty except for a small, silver bar, which served as a holographic monitor. It was easy to guess who each desk belonged to.  
“Let’s see. Something in green, I presume?” Loki was astonished at how confidently she strode into Stark’s closet. He stood in the doorway. She fished around in the dresser and found a green T-shirt. Loki jumped, and caught the shirt just in time when she threw it at him. She looked him up and down a moment, closed the drawer and opened another.  
“Hm. Jeans or black?” She held up two pairs of pants, a pair of jeans, and a pair of black cargo pants. Loki winced,  
“Which one is less conspicuous?”  
She shrugged, “Either will be fine. Which one do you like more?”  
“I am not overly fond of either of them.” Loki shook his head. Sophia snorted and threw him the jeans. He was more prepared this time. She looked at his feet and sighed, deep in thought,  
“Ya know… yeah, you can’t wear those in public… but Tony might have something… heh, Pepper might have something. I dunno, let’s see.” She turned from the dresser and dug around in a bin near the back.  
“Goshdarnit, Tony! Yeah, you do NOT need heels. Ah, here. These might work.” She chucked two black boots at him. She looked at him a while,  
“I feel like I’m missing something.” she tapped the box with her finger.  
“Ah. You really like your leather, don’tcha?” She asked, pulling out a stepstool and grabbing a large box from a top shelf,  
“Tony went through that phase too. Take your pick; they all look the same to me.”  
Loki blinked as she pulled out leather jacket after leather jacket from the box. He slowly approached and drew out a simple one, with no zipper or buttons. He scoffed in disgust.  
“You humans have no taste in clothing.” He shook his head as Sophia laughed. She laughed for a long time.  
“Well, you’ll choose your own clothing today, but for now, you’re stuck with Tony’s threads. Hm…” She looked at Loki’s chest for a while. It made Loki uncomfortable, and he brought his hand up to where she was staring. Ah, his necklace.  
“I mean…” She walked over to Pepper’s closet, “I think Pepper has something like that? But I’m a lot more uncomfortable with taking her stuff than Tony’s…”  
“I understand.” Loki gathered the outfit and set it on the bed, “Is not the reasoning behind my wearing Stark’s clothing to make me less conspicuous? Gold seems to defeat the purpose.”  
“Ya know, you’re so right.” she shook her head and closed the door to Pepper’s closet. “I’mma get ready too. Meet ya upstairs. If you need anything, just take it from Tony’s closet. Pepper’s is off limits.” She entered the elevator and was soon concealed by the doors.  
The outfit was difficult to get on, and even more difficult to wear. Loki blinked at himself in the mirror. He looked ridiculous. Groaning, he went to the top floor, where Sophia was waiting. She was looking at her phone and finishing her coffee. She wore a bright blue T-shirt, a black vest, and jeans. She looked up when he exited the elevator.  
“Hey, ya look good. How’s it feel, proud little god?”  
Loki shook his head, “Utterly ludicrous.”  
She laughed, “Well, ya look great by human standards. C’mon, let’s go.”

Sophia took Loki to several shops and was only run over by a horde of fangirls twice. They found a decent wardrobe for him, and both were worn out by the end of the trip.  
“Ok, I dunno about you, but I’m starving. There’s a diner across the street that has really good sandwiches. Shall we try it out?” Sophia was effervescent, dragging Loki from shop to shop. The demi-god only shrugged in response. When they entered the diner, they were met with a surprise.  
“Hey! Rhodey! Wanda!” Sophia abandoned Loki by the entrance as she embraced her friends.  
“We just saw you last night.” Rhodey teased.  
“How went things?” Wanda asked.  
“Fine.” Sophia shrugged, “We were looking to get Loki a decent wardrobe for his stay. The diva is super picky.” She laughed. Loki rolled his eyes.  
“Uh huh. Well, we haven’t ordered yet. Sit down.” Rhodey pulled out a chair for Sophia.  
So Loki and Sophia ate with Rhodey and Wanda. The four talked for a while, but Rhodey and Wanda soon had to leave. Sophia led Loki down the street excitedly, refusing to tell him where they were going, but ever-insistent that he attempt to keep up.  
“So, I know you have a library on Asgard, but… I doubt you have any of our stories. I think I know of some you would find quite amusing.” She said as she led him through the doors. The library was not as grand as the one in Asgard, but to have access to books again was a relief.  
“Now, stay close, ok? This place is lousy with fangirls, and they’ll see through our clever disguise, let me tell you.” she shook her head and looked behind her to make sure Loki was keeping up.  
“Hey. Lunatic. Keep up.” she turned back and grabbed Loki’s wrist, dragging him to the computer.  
She typed into the search engine and Loki groaned,  
“Sophia, have you not had enough of me? What do the humans of old have to say about me? I don’t remember going to earth as much as my brother.”  
“Aw, c’mon, it’ll be interesting. If nothing else, it’ll be funny.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, Loki, the humans of old have a LOT to say about you...


	6. stories and mischief

That night, instead of watching movies, Loki and Sophia read the books they had gotten from the library. Sophia was constantly erupting into laughter, and Loki always became scared when she did.  
“Oh dear, now you are unable to regain your composure.” Loki sighed, “Alright, what story are you reading now?” he got up and walked over to the couch. He waited a moment, wondering if she would stop laughing. In the end, he had to take the book from her hands and read the story for himself.  
“No, no, no. They got everything wrong! Dear Odin, did you really think that the giants were so incredibly dull-witted, that when they saw Thor clad in a white gown, they would not be at least suspicious? No, no, darling, let me tell you what really happened.” He sat on the couch next to her and closed the book, setting it behind him, as if to cast the blasphemy away.  
“You…” Sophia was laying on the couch, clutching her sides as they split with laughter, “Thor dressed as a bride!... I can’t imagine! Ok, Ok, I’m good now, I’m good. Tell the story.”  
“Well, I am in the library, everything is peaceful; it seems like a normal day. That is, until Thor comes crashing through the doors, practically weeping, he is so distressed. After I calm his anguish, he tells me that he has misplaced Mjolnir. I, of course, assure him that he probably left it somewhere, and he has to but go and find it. He indignantly states that he has searched all of Asgard, calling for his companion all the while, but it never came. So I accompany him throughout Asgard, helping him search, but the quest brings up nothing. By this time, I am now distressed. Mjolnir is a powerful weapon, and should it fall into enemy hands, the consequences would be disastrous. At this point in time, the spell of worthiness has not been placed on Mjolnir, but only Thor can summon its full power. Even so, it is a formidable weapon. I, of course, have to take it upon myself to locate the weapon, and I find it in a land that we visit often when going on quests: the land of the giants. Thor and I go to find that the giant Thrym had stolen it, and in exchange for it, he wanted Freya’s hand in marriage. Freya is the most beautiful goddess in all of Asgard, but she is also one of the fiercest. We guessed that she would not be fond of the idea, and indeed, she loathed it. I think on the problem for some time, and decide that it is time for the use of some trickery, some, shall I say, mischief…”his eyes sparkled with laughter, and Sophia couldn’t keep from snorting,  
“I suggest to Thor that he disguise himself as Freya, and go get the hammer himself. At first, he is skeptical of the idea, considering the fact that he would not make a very convincing Freya, but I win him over using an illusion to make him appear as Freya. There are only three things that I cannot conceal: One, the ruddy complexion of his face. You would be surprised how difficult it is to match skin tone when creating illusions. I can only meet perfection when creating an illusion of myself. Two, his eyes. When making an illusion, eye color cannot change. I am simply unable to change eye color. Three, the vastness of his appetite!” Loki rolled his eyes and chuckled,  
“Well, you can understand my inability to change that. We attend the wedding, and Thor drags me along to help smooth any bumps that may occur, and bumps there were! Also, it was quite amusing to watch, knowing that it was my brother, and not Freya underneath the veil. You see, not only am I the god of mischief and illusion, but the god of words. Well, problems only arose during the banquet. I tried to tell Thor that Freya did not eat as much as him, but he insisted that she must. I spared his life and did not mention this to the goddess of fire. Thrym was amazed at his appetite, so I told him that ‘Freya’ had not eaten for nine days, she was so overjoyed at joining the giants. And he bought the lie!” Loki stopped and laughed,  
“The giants are not so idiotic that Thor would have no need of my magic for a disguise, but they can be incredibly witless at times!”  
“Well, you’re the god of words, I’m sure that you could talk your way out of almost anything! Why do you think I had the Avengers gag you?” Sophia hugged her knees as she listened to Loki’s story, eating it up like candy.  
“It was my thought that Thor insisted on the gag.” Loki said, rubbing his jaw in remembrance of the article.  
“Hey, I was here before your brother came. After Tony and Cap had you safely on the way to the base, I told them to gag you. They didn’t listen.” She crossed her arms in bitterness. Loki grinned.  
“They said that you were behaving. You hadn’t said hardly a word, pretending to be crestfallen and defeated.” She smoothed out her vest and abruptly inhaled, “but anyway the giant bought the lie. Then what?”  
“The next difficulty occurred when Thrym leaned in to kiss his bride. Dear Odin that would have been hilarious. But, unfortunately, my two weaknesses lay there, his eyes and complexion. Sure enough, Thrym told me that he was astonished at Freya’s red skin and fiery eyes. I told him that she had not slept for many days, and was feverish from lack of rest, she was so elated to join the giants. And he believed me again!” Loki laughed,  
“Finally, eager to finish the wedding, Thrym had the hammer laid on Thor’s lap, who then, of course, revealed himself and slayed all the giants in the room, not including I, of course.”  
Sophia stared at Loki, wide eyed in horror, “he killed ALL the giants?” she whispered.  
“Well, you see, darling, Thor was not always as soft – ah – gentle as he is now. Before he met Jane, he was quite… how shall I say this? Emotional. If you did him a wrong, and he did not love you dearly, you would surely die. Many a giant was slain by his hands. But do not fear him, no mortal should have fear of Thor, he loves your earth dearly.” Loki said the statement gently, changing his tone of voice to make it so that she would be soothed, and comforted.  
“Oh. Ok.” Her tense shoulders relaxed, and the fear left her eyes, “Well.” she stood and stretched, “I’m going to get ready for bed. Don’t take over the world while I’m gone.”  
“I make no promises, mortal. Now kneel.” Loki smirked.  
“ha ha.” Mockery echoed from the hall.  
Telling the story filled Loki of fond memories from his youth. He sat on the couch for a while, remembering past jokes he had pulled on his family. He remembered the incident with the giant that bore his name, Loki, meaning knot or tangle, the trickster god, god of mischief, lord of words. He had an idea suddenly.

When Sophia emerged from her room, wearing her sweatshirt and sweatpants, she was surprised to find Loki at the computer.  
“huh.” she said, reading the tumblrs over his shoulder, “never thought you’d get tired of reading about you.”  
“The fables were all incorrect. It grew too painful to bear.” Loki didn’t move, he didn’t even scroll up or down the page.  
“And these are less painful?” She leaned on the chair, causing it to tilt back, and phase through Loki, before he disappeared.  
“What the-“ she cried, but was silent. “You did not just…” she heard laughter from the end of the hall, “You DID! Oh, you’re gonna pay for that, puny god. KNEEL!”  
Loki was genuinely frightened when she came screaming at him from the end of the hallway. She tore at him and tackled him. He was too strong for her to bring him to the floor, but she was firmly jabbing her fingers in his sides. Before Loki knew what was happening, he felt laughter erupting from his chest. It became difficult to stand, he willed his arms to throw her off his body, but they refused to move. He pleaded with her to stop, trying to persuade her with his silver tongue.  
“First kneel…” she hissed, “You struggle to stand, that is plain. Kneel, little god. It is so much simpler.”  
The tone of her voice was level and logical. Loki found himself collapsing onto his knees in submission. No sooner than his knees hit the ground, she pulled away from him and smirked down at him. He realized that he had submitted to a mere mortal, and his cheeks flushed red.  
She looked at her phone, with a smug grin on her face.  
“Oh, gosh, Jarvis is gonna kill me. Bedtime, god of mischief. Jarvis, nightlight mode.” And with that, she gave Loki a small salute and disappeared into her room. Loki stood still for a moment, a bit stunned by her sudden disappearance, but retired as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The whole thing about Norse Mythology will come back. Usually so Loki can correct it.  
> And yes, the prank was lame, but give Loki some grace, he had maybe five minutes to come up with a prank. Sophia, I think, was just indignant that he would even try to use an illusion to play a joke on her. So of course she tickles him. 'Cause why not?


	7. nothing cures a nightmare like a spell

Loki blinked as stars swirled around him. Other than that, blackness consumed everything. There was everything, and yet nothing. He was outside space and outside time, drifting from one realm, his realm, to another, he knew not where. But it was terribly tiring. He was alone, and he felt a very rare, and undesired feeling:  
He was scared.  
He was alone.  
He regretted letting go of the staff. He wanted his brother, he wanted his father. He wanted things to go back to the way they were, to before Thor’s coronation, before he began the chain of events that led him to open space.  
Out in the vacuum of space, he found that he was cold. A strange feeling, considering his origins, but he was shivering.  
It penetrated to his very soul. It was so cold… He couldn’t stay awake… so cold, lonely… alone forever; and it was all his fault.

Loki’s eyes shot open. He was no longer in space, no longer drifting aimlessly, but on earth. Yes, he remembered now. He was with Sophia, the weak human girl that, for some reason, seemed to care for him. He stood up and let his feet guide him to the door. He knew not what drew him out there. Perhaps it was morning? No, it was still dark out. But for some reason, he felt as if his presence was needed. He pulled open the door and entered the hallway. The feeling drew him gently towards the living room. It was as if a spirit or nymph was standing there, beckoning for him to come closer. Silently, he entered the living room. Seated facing away from him, on the couch, was Sophia. She sat Indian style, staring at the wall.  
“Sophia?” he softly spoke, so as not to startle her. His spell worked, and she merely turned her head around, as if she always knew he was there. She had been crying, as her face was wet, and red. She quickly wiped any tears away,  
“Hey, Loki.” She turned to face him, and he now noticed that she held a steaming mug in her lap.  
“Are you unable to sleep?” he sat in front of her on the couch, mirroring her position.  
“Yeah.” She nodded.  
“I cannot find it either. I was cast from it.”  
“Really? By what?” She peered curiously at him.  
“Images of my past. I dreamed I was floating from realm to realm again, in the cold vacuum of space. It was so cold…” he shivered at the memory, “And so empty. There was only me, only myself-“  
“That sounds horrible.” Sophia interrupted him. The worry and pain in her voice was genuine, and she interrupted to pull him from the memories she knew he was experiencing,  
“I happened to have a nightmare too.” She took a sip from her mug, “I was in the alleyways again. I often dream of my past, of when I was a thief and a liar. Those were some pretty dark days for me.  
I was running. Running from something, I don’t know what, but I was running in the alleyways. I couldn’t escape whatever I was running from, and I was all alone. I kept on getting this feeling that I was going to someone, meeting up with them, trying desperately to find them. But as soon as I was close to remembering, I forgot.” She shrugged. Loki nodded. They were silent for a while.  
“We cannot let images of the past deter us from the present.” Loki said determinedly.  
“Huh?” Sophia raised an eyebrow, “Whaddya mean?”  
“You should attempt to sleep again.”  
She shook her head, “Can’t. Why do you think I was here in the first place?”  
Loki couldn’t argue with her there. But, he did know a few words…  
“You need rest.” He whispered, smiling gently. Sophia yawned,  
“Loki, what’r you…” She yawned again.  
Loki grinned, “Even now, sleep is within your grasp. You lie down and close your eyes, letting your mind wander to distant lands.”  
She closed her eyes and started to fall over. And to Loki’s horror, she nestled her head on his shoulder, like a little puppy curling up in the lap of its owner. Loki was quite tongue tied for a long while. He picked up the mug and gingerly set it on the table, trying to not move his arm. He could tell from her breathing that she was fast asleep. She must have been tired. It was a wonder she succumbed to his words so fast.  
He hadn’t put a spell on her per se, just influenced her with his words so she would believe what he was saying. It was easy since it was something as simple as falling asleep, even easier since she was already tired. What Loki couldn’t believe is that she clung to HIM. When he used words and his silver tongue, the being that is influenced is weakened, and as a defense mechanism, their mind makes them cling to something or someone they trust, usually someone they trusted with their life, so that person could protect them. He had put wealthy giants to sleep when questing with Thor, and they usually clung to a bag of money, or a gem, or a prized possession. Humans usually clung to each other. He was curious as to what she would grab. He thought maybe the couch, since that was the only thing close enough, but no. It was HIM. She trusted him with her life and he couldn’t figure out why. Perhaps it was because he was the only living being near her, and it would be difficult to grasp Jarvis: A computer.  
Loki tried to stay up, but his words, her steady breathing, the heat radiating from her body, or all three combined had him asleep shortly after her.  
Jarvis felt that he should wake the two. He figured that they did not intend on falling asleep in such a position. He had observed humans, including but not limited to Stark (Jarvis knew that Stark was a special case, and should not be used as a model for all humanity), and he knew how humans behaved when infatuated with one another, and this was not it. This was something deeper. This behavior mirrored more of Tony and Pepper’s: Confiding in one another, protecting one another, caring for each other.  
Jarvis felt that it was his responsibility to wake them. But it was also his responsibility to take care of them, and they needed sleep. He doubted that they could fall back asleep just after having such nightmares. Tony had often had nightmares, and he could only sleep when with Pepper. So, Jarvis decided to leave them be, and warn them in the morning. He diverted his energy to other things, such as the problem the Avengers were having in Asgard…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Their dreams are important. Pay attention to them.  
> The fall into love has begun. And the pace will only increase.


	8. Sickness

Sophia stretched as she woke. She wasn’t fully able to see or think at the moment, all she knew was that it was cold and she wanted to get closer to the warm thing next to her. She managed to wrap her arms around the thing, and was a little surprised when it moved to encompass her. Now that she was warmer, she tried to wake up, but the pain gnawing at her stomach was too great. She fell off whatever she was sleeping on in an effort to get to the bathroom. She hung off the toilet as the contents of her stomach were dumped into it. Afterwards she was too tired to move.  
“Loki…” She whimpered before collapsing to the ground, shivering. She was too weak to go back to wherever she was sleeping.  
“Loki…” She whispered again before falling asleep.  
…  
When Loki woke, he was startled only for a moment to find himself in the living room of the top floor in Avengers tower. It was then that he remembered the events of last night, and began to search for Sophia. To his surprise, he found her on the floor, passed out, in the bathroom.  
“Sophia, darling, what on earth are you… oh…” He sighed, scooped up the girl, and carried her back to the couch.  
Now. The problem was what to do with a sick human. They were incredibly fragile, and Loki was a bit at a loss of what to do. He would need help.  
“Jarvis. Contact Lieutenant Rhodes.”  
…  
Rhodey groaned as he answered the phone,  
“Hey, Soph… what’s up?”  
“Sophia is ill at the moment. I need your instruction on how to care for her. I don’t know the first thing when it comes to curing a sick human.” Loki admitted. Rhodey laughed,  
“When you figure it out, let me know.”  
“Do I seem to be in a gaming mood, Rhodes?” Loki rolled his eyes. This was no time for jokes.  
“Look, I’m sick too! Happened in the middle of the night last night. Called up Wanda, she’s sick too. That’s disturbing, to know that Sophia’s sick. It means we probably got food poisoning.”  
“Poison! Who dared to poison Sophia!?” Loki was livid that someone would try to murder Sophia. He would find out who, and he would end them.  
“No, Loki, no one tried to poison us. It just happens sometimes. It must’ve been the place we ate at yesterday. As a god, you’d be more resistant to any human sicknesses. But Wanda, Sophia and I all got sick.” Rhodey explained.  
“I see. Then who might I contact to help me care for Sophia.” Loki asked. Rhodey laughed. Loki growled in frustration,  
“Lieutenant Rhodes, I am becoming less and less amused at whatever it is you find funny!”  
“Jus’ never thought you’d care so much for anything. Much less a girl you’ve only known for two days.” Rhodey said, his laughter dying off. Loki groaned and held his head in his hands. He could feel his reputation crumbling.  
“Anyway. Sorry, but I got no clue on who you can talk to. I’ll see ya later.” Rhodey apologized.  
“Farewell.” Loki nodded and hung up the phone. He went to the couch and sat on the end of it, contemplating of what other human he knew that would be able to help Sophia. They didn’t necessarily have to like him, just care enough about Sophia to help her.  
Sophia rolled over, groaning.  
“How do you feel?” he knelt, so that he could see her face.  
“Cold…” She mumbled, curling up into a tighter ball. Loki looked around him for a blanket. He draped one over her and felt her forehead. She was burning. Surely that was not a good sign. Loki may not know medicine, but he did know science, and her body was not meant to be this hot.  
Should he contact director Fury? He decided that doing so would be dangerous, and possibly a mistake. Then he remembered something Clint Barton had told him. He groaned. The woman barely knew him, but he didn’t know of anyone else he could call.  
“Jarvis, contact Mrs. Barton.”  
Laura cautiously picked up the phone. The caller ID said Avengers tower. Clint told her that the only people in the tower as of now, was Loki, the one who had nearly destroyed New York, and Sophia, the fragile nineteen year old that Clint seemed to love as a daughter.  
“Hello?” she asked.  
“Yes, is this the dwelling of Clint Barton?” a male voice asked. She nodded,  
“Yes, I’m Mrs. Barton.”  
“Wonderful. You see, I am Loki of Asgard.”  
“Loki!” She started, “Where is Sophia, what have you done with her!?”  
“Please, what? No! I have done nothing with the child. She is sick, and I am at a loss as how to care for her. I contacted Lieutenant Rhodes, and he said that he and Scarlet Witch were also ill. He said they were poisoned, though it was not deliberate. Please, Mrs. Barton, I don't know anyone else to call.” Loki seemed distressed. Laura turned to her kids, who were eating breakfast and watching TV.  
“Well…” She said, “Clint wouldn’t like it… but he seems to care for Sophia very much… Ok, I’m on my way.” She started packing her first aid supplies and hurrying her kids to the car,  
“How is her condition now?”  
“She is burning hot, though she claims to be cold. She is now buried under three blankets.” Loki said as he laid another blanket on the girl, at her command.  
“Fever. I’ll need to know her exact temperature, but that can wait. Has she thrown up at all?” She was now in the car with her two and a half kids.  
“Once. Early this morning.”  
“Ok. Don’t feed her anything. You can give her a cup of water, but nothing more until I get there. Understand?”  
“Perfectly.”  
“If she is still cold, it’s ok to give her more blankets. Ok. I need to drive now. I’ll see you there.” She hung up. Loki turned to the girl, who was whimpering again.  
“Water…” she demanded. Loki nodded and filled a small glass with cold water and handed it to her. She thirstily drank the whole thing and dropped the glass. It shattered on the hard floor. Loki frowned,  
“Mrs. Barton instructed me to only give you one glass of water. I am sorry, but I cannot get you more. For fear of hurting you.”  
Sophia laughed weakly.  
Mrs. Barton arrived and rushed into the room, taking Sophia’s temperature right away. She was closely followed by her two children. Loki watched them wide eyed for a moment. They all peered up at him.  
“Mrs. Barton… You brought your family?” He asked, jogging to Sophia’s side.  
“Hm?” Mrs. Barton looked up from the thermometer, “Ah, yes. I was in a hurry, and it seemed like the best option. Don’t worry. I’ll turn on Phineas and Ferb and they’ll leave us be.”  
Loki nodded. He wasn’t sure what a Phineas or a Ferb was, or how they would leave the children occupied, but as long as he didn’t need to watch them, Phineas and Ferb sounded like a good thing. The TV turned on of its own accord and played the children’s show.  
“Can I be of assistance, ma’am?” Jarvis asked.  
“Not so far. Don’t worry, I’ll ask when I need something.” she said dismissively.  
“I assume you’ll do the same for me?” Loki cautiously asked. Mrs. Barton chuckled,  
“Yes, Loki, I’ll do the same for you.” She continued to fish around in her bag. Just then, Sophia stirred to life.  
“Huh? Wazzat! Who’s there?” She fell off the couch and tumbled on top of Loki. Delirious in her fever, she tried to jump up and fight whoever the intruder was, but before she could do so, Loki grabbed her and prevented her from causing any damage.  
“Sophia! Stand down! I asked Mrs. Barton for help in caring for you, there is no need to panic!” He firmly assured her. She ceased her fighting and relaxed, panting for breath.  
“S-sorry…” she breathed.  
“It’s hardly your fault, sweetie.” Mrs. Barton nodded, “Loki, put her back on the couch please?”  
Loki obeyed and pulled the blankets over Sophia’s shoulders. He noticed that she was shivering still, but upon feeling her forehead, she was still burning. He was concerned.  
“Well, I think all we can do is wait until the poison has left her system. Her getting sick this morning may have done it, and she is still recovering. All we can do is help make her comfortable. I can give her medicine to help the pain and help her sleep.” Mrs. Barton pulled several bottles from her bag, got a pill from each one, and had Sophia swallow them.  
“I will stay for as long as I can, but I have to leave before dark to take care of the farm.” She turned to Loki.  
“I understand. Thank you.” He said. She nodded and began to pack her things. Loki pulled a chair near Sophia and read one of the books he got from the library.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This case of food poisoning is a bit different than the real world. If you get food poisoning, you need to stay hydrated. But, in Laura's defense, Loki was very vague on her sickness, and it may have gone completely over her head.


	9. Confessions

Sophia slept almost the whole day, only waking in the evening, when she felt much better, very confused at why the Bartons were here. Mrs. Barton left then, sure that Sophia would be ok. Regardless of the size and innocence of the epidemic, Loki was relieved.  
“So Rhodey and Wanda are sick too? Man. Hope they’re ok.” Sophia and Loki were talking later that evening at the dinner table. Where Sophia had eaten a whole packet of toaster strudel and was STILL hungry. So she had ordered a pizza for her and Loki to split.  
“And to think, you didn’t even save any for me.” Loki poked fun at her voracious appetite, gesturing to the empty box. She tried to scowl at Loki, but ended up erupting in a fit of giggles. Loki rolled his eyes, unable to keep from smiling,  
“Now what is it? Does everything cause humans to laugh?”  
“Funny things do.” Sophia grinned, “I just think it’s sweet how far you went to be sure you were able to care for me. You called Rhodey and then Mrs. Barton, who you barely knew. You could’ve just left me in the living room and went out on the town, but you didn’t.”  
“It hardly seemed like the noble thing to do.” Loki said, avoiding eye contact with the girl.  
“Exactly. Not a lot of people would believe that you would consider what was noble or not.” She said gently. Loki smiled suddenly,  
“Well. I did leave Barton’s family be didn’t I? Never used them against him, or SHIELD.”  
“No. you just took over his mind and made him kill and attempt to kill his close friends.” She glowered at Loki.  
“Yes, well…” Loki cleared his throat, stalling for time, “I’d say I expanded his mind.”  
“I’d say ya brainwashed him, and I’m not entirely sure it was all your doing either.” She shook her head.  
“What?”  
“Nevermind. I don’t want to have this theory of mine busted.” She waved a hand dismissively.  
“You have a theory on me?” Loki smiled, “Do tell.”  
“No.” She said firmly, standing.  
“Why are you sensitive to this subject, yet to all others, even to the kidnapping of your father, you joke and prod?” Loki followed her.  
“It’s in the past.” She turned and walked to the couch, hoping Loki wouldn’t follow. He did.  
“Why do you fear your theory to be incorrect? You are incredibly intelligent, and I’m sure that any theory you have would be at the very least partially correct. Are not theories meant to be revised and adjusted?” He pushed, coming up behind her.  
“I’m scared to find out if this theory is wrong.” It took her a long time to answer.  
“What hangs so delicately in the balance that discovering imperfections in your idea would upset you so?”  
She was quiet for a long time. Loki could see her breathing heavily, even trembling at times. Cautiously, he put a hand on her shoulder.  
“Sophia?” He asked, “If it upsets you so greatly, you need not answer me. But…” he trailed off.  
“I’m falling in love with you, Loki.” She said, her voice shaking. Loki swallowed.  
“Though I don’t think this kind of love is what Nat meant.” She breathed. Loki let his hand fall.  
“Why do you… What makes you think you have romantic feelings for me?” He asked. Sophia turned around,  
“Oh no, not romantic… yet… I think. I don’t know how any of this works, Loki. I’ve never fallen in love before. Well. That’s a lie. I fell in love with Natasha and Clint. Then Tony and Pepper and Jarvis… and I think this is kind of the same love but… it’s different somehow…”  
Loki remained quiet, listening intently.  
“Loki, you’re the best friend I’ve ever had! Hard to believe, I know, considering the fact that I've hardly known you for more than a few days, but… Like, Nat and Clint, and Tony… they’re like my parents. Cap and Bruce… they’re my friends, but although they’d definitely take care of me when I’m sick, like you did… I don’t think I’d be able to have as much fun with them like I do you.” She laughed, “Going to the library and laughing over stories, brushing each other off after being mobbed by fangirls…”  
Loki smiled at the memories.  
“I don’t think I’ve had that much fun in a long time. Maybe ever.” she trailed off.  
“You give me too much credit.” Loki said, smiling gently.  
“What?”  
“You give me too much credit, Sophia. You are simply effervescent. Filled with joy to be anywhere with anyone. I have met no one in the nine realms like you. Romanoff saw this and enlisted you. As was her duty. She raised you with the help of Barton. Then, once you convinced Stark that you were strong enough to keep a god like me in check, he also saw your joy, your contagious happiness. How could I, how could anyone dare to hurt you? How could…” He trailed off, shaking his head and laughing,  
“You say that I am the reason for your joy. My dear, look no further than yourself for the real reason. But, I fail to see what this has to do with your theory.”  
Sophia looked at the ground, “The conclusion of my theory is that Thanos took control of your mind, just as you took over the mind of Barton. Only proof I didn’t have was a witness. And now I have it. All you have to do is say I’m wrong. And I’m wrong. If my theory is truth, you’re innocent, but, if not…” She trailed off and turned around.  
“And why does my innocence matter so much to you?”  
“Because I have to be able to believe that it wasn’t you. That the blood, it’s not on your hands.”  
“That doesn’t answer my question.” Loki shook his head and came alongside her. She sighed,  
“Because I’m falling in love with you. Because I love you. And… I guess it would ease my conscience.”  
Loki wasn’t sure what to say. No one had been this upset that they loved him. Thor seemed to have no problems with the fact. Frigga was his mother. Enough said. Odin… he wasn’t sure his father loved him, so he had no regrets. This was a new problem entirely, and what scared him the most was that she was right. He was falling in love with her, too. Seeing her like this, hearing this made him want to become someone, make her proud that she loved him. But how could he?  
“Sophia…” He said as gently and as lovingly as he could. She didn’t look at him. Cautiously, he put his arm around her shoulder, then his other around her waist. He pulled gently on her. She sighed tiredly and turned into him, resting her head on his chest, and wrapping her arms around him. He almost dared not breathe, but held her tightly and rested his head on hers. They were still. They were still for a long while. Loki felt that he should say something, something to make her feel better, and restore her to her former joy, even just to fill the silence. But words would not leave his mouth, and the silence ruled until he was able to speak again. When he did, all he was able to do was croak,  
“I love you.”  
Sophia flinched in his arms. She slowly looked up at him.  
“What?”  
“Miss, Sir, the pizza has arrived.” Jarvis interrupted. Both froze. It was as if they were dreaming, and now they were back in reality. Sophia slowly pulled herself from Loki and wordlessly entered the elevator.  
Once alone, Loki fell on the couch. He took a long, deep breath, recovering, trying to figure out what exactly just happened.  
“Love? Love is for children! Pathetic!” He rasped.  
“She is but 19, sir.”  
“It is none of your concern, machine.”  
“Yes, sir.”  
Loki sighed.  
“Hey, so, ya wanna call up Wanda and Rhodey? Maybe talk with them over pizza.” Sophia seemed fine when she came back.  
“Ah, yes, of course.” Loki stood up and took the pizza from her, carrying it to the table.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It definitely isn’t healthy to eat that much food right after being sick, but I wanted to include the Thor reference so… physics, or, in this case, biology.  
> Don’t try this at home.  
> Anyway, confessions are made, and at this point, Loki and Sophia love each other, but not romantically. That comes much later. Don’t take it the wrong way, otherwise, none of this will make sense.


	10. words

During dinner, things fell back into the normal, and the awkwardness was nothing but a memory. But later that night, the topic came back up. They were reading late into the night, sitting across from each other on the couch. Comfortable silence hung in the air, but something had been bothering Sophia.  
“So.” She cleared her throat. Loki looked up from his book.  
“About earlier today…” she rubbed the back of her neck and pulled the blankets closer around her, “I wasn’t overstepping any boundaries, was I?”  
Loki looked at her blankly.  
“I mean, telling you that I… love you.” She choked out. Loki seemed confused,  
“I had asked you a question, and you were answering. No you were not pushing any boundaries. If anything, I was. By…”  
“Yeah, no, it was…” she shivered and rubbed her shoulders, “I mean, ah- I liked it. I’m a very touchy-feely person. I’ll hug just about anyone.” she said shyly. Loki smiled briefly.  
“Were you lying?” She asked suddenly. Loki frowned,  
“I don’t recall. Which one?” he half-teased  
“When… um, just before we were… just before the pizza arrived.” She said, chuckling a little at his joke.  
“Ah.” Loki nodded. He was silent a while, staring at the ground. All the while, Sophia was sure that he was only thinking of sweet words to tell her over the fact that he was lying. She went back to her book.  
“No.” he said abruptly. She looked up,  
“What? You- you weren’t lying when you told me you loved me?”  
Loki shook his head, refusing to move his eyes from the floor. Sophia found herself smiling, and laughing. Loki was intensely confused,  
“IS everything amusing to humans?”  
“No!” She continued to laugh, “I’m just relieved! I-it seemed to me, at that moment, that it was so important that you did truly love me…”  
Loki smiled on her. Then he frowned, worried.  
“Sophia, are you cold?” He asked.  
“A little.” She said, shivering. Loki sighed and shook his head, standing up. He retrieved another blanket, draping it over her, and checked the time. After finding it was late, he turned to Sophia, who was already drifting to sleep. Battling sickness earlier in the day must have wearied her body. He looked her up and down, trying to figure how to move her without disturbing her rest. Putting a hand on her shoulder, he slid his hand under her back, lifting her gently. Supporting her legs with his other arm, he lifted her up. She stirred a bit, unconsciously wrapping her arms around his neck.  
Loki froze. He wasn’t sure what to do. He couldn’t remember why he picked her up, and now he wasn’t sure he wanted to move her. She was close to him, and if she woke in the middle of the night, or if anything came to hurt her (however unlikely that may be), he would be right there to spring into action and protect her.  
But he stirred back to life, and carried her to her room. He laid her on the bed and pulled the covers over her. She hummed contentedly and pulled the blankets around her, curling up into a ball. The sight made Loki smile. He reluctantly left her there and retired to his room as well.


	11. dancing

The next day, Loki awoke with no confusion. By now, he knew where he was and expected to wake up in Midgard. He was drawn out of his room by the smell of coffee and toasting toaster strudel. Sophia was singing along to a Black Sabbath song as she prepared her coffee. When she turned around and noticed Loki in the doorway, grinning smugly at her, she became silent, and very red in the face.  
“Why did you stop?” he asked.  
“I, um… Isn’t it kind of embarrassing?” She shyly asked, pulling down a black mug with Stark Industries’ logo on it from the cupboard.  
“Perhaps.” Loki laughed, “But I find your quirks to be quite precious.”  
Sophia jumped at that, and looked at him strangely. Now Loki was red in the face.  
“That is! Um- because you are such a small and insignificant mortal, I mean.”  
Sophia chuckled nervously,  
“Uh-huh. right.” she turned around and filled the mug with coffee, handing it to Loki. They prepared the rest of their breakfast together while listening to Sophia’s music.  
“I am not criticizing you,” Loki said at length, “But why do you enjoy this music?”  
“Oh, well. It just seems to fit every occasion. When I’m sad, it kind of reminds me that I’m not alone. That other people feel the way I do now. If I’m angry, I can get my anger out. And if I’m just happy, like this morning, I can dance and sing to it.” she shrugged.  
“You dance?” Loki asked.  
“Oh not very well. It mostly consists of me flailing my arms around and jumping. Usually head-banging.” She laughed.  
“Oh dear. Please tell me you don’t hurt yourself.” Loki was exasperated. Sophia laughed again,  
“Of course not, Loki. I don’t actually hit my head on something, just kind of, aggressively nodding my head to the beat of the music. But that's a poor explanation. Oh well.” She sighed.  
“Ah.” He nodded, falling silent again. After some time, Sophia asked a question,  
“Do you dance in Asgard?”  
“Of course, little one.” he shook his head.  
“How do you dance?” She pressed. Loki cocked his head to one side, thinking,  
“Of course we have balls. Only for extravagant celebrations, such as me and my brother’s birthday. We were always told we were twins. I suppose it made sense to celebrate on the same day.”  
“What did an Asgardian birthday look like?” Sophia carried her breakfast to the table and Loki followed.  
“Well, for the princes, all of Asgard was invited. The ballroom was incredibly crowded, I didn’t like it much. A band would play music, usually waltzes and the like. The Asgardian men would seek out a dance partner, though mine usually came from Thor or Sif, both of whom wanted me to dance and socialize, perhaps find a lover. None of which I was very adept at, and tried to avoid as much as possible.”  
“Wait, wait.” Sophia laughed, “You mean to tell me, that on Asgard, you didn’t have thousands of fangirls?”  
Loki smiled, “Well. There were those who desired me because of my position in succession to the throne, but no one seemed to love me for who I was, not my power.”  
“No one even loved you for your looks?” She asked, bewildered.  
“Oh no. I was a rather sickly thing. I was long and thin, not anything like my brother, or any of my friends.” He shrugged. Sophia stared at him open-mouthed.  
“What is it?” he asked.  
“Ok, I really hope you know this, but… Oh gosh, this is really weird for me to say, but you’re perfect! I mean… oh gosh…” She hid her now red face in her hands. Loki was perplexed.  
“On earth- I mean, it’s kind of a preference thing. Some girls like guys that are all huge and strong like Thor, and some like guys that are long and thin, more elegant.”  
Loki was becoming more and more amused by this. She was so red in the face. He wondered if he could get her to blush any deeper. He grinned and leaned in,  
“And what do you prefer?”  
“uuhhh…” she turned a whole shade redder, much to Loki’s entertainment, “I, uh, don’t really care about looks. It matters more to me on what the guy’s like. His demeanor, personality; the mind and the heart, I think, are much more beautiful than the body.”  
“I see.” Loki leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms, rather disappointed. He should have known that she would say something like that.  
“But anyway, what else is included in an Asgardian birthday?” she abruptly broke the silence.  
“There was a large banquet.” Loki looked out the window, remembering past celebrations, “everything from whole boars to salads, to pastries afterwards. There was much storytelling and laughing.”  
“I bet you were good at that.” She smiled. Loki gave her a look that was both amused and confused,  
“At which, little one?”  
“Both!” she said, “You’re so good at telling stories.” Loki shook his head,  
“Part of my silver tongue, darling.” He looked back at the sky, thinking. Sophia waited patiently, tapping her foot to the music that was still playing.  
“Let’s see. One time, Thor conspired with me to pull a joke on Sif. I had an illusion of myself go with Thor to her. When the next dance started, Thor went off to find a suitable partner. Sif pretended to be offended, for the humor of it. I, of course, asked her to dance with me. She was surprised at first, because she was usually the one to drag me to the floor. She consented however, and when I offered her my hand, she phased right through me. Her reaction was worth the price I paid later.” he stopped a moment to laugh. Sophia couldn’t help laughing with him.  
“Wait, wait, what price did you pay?” Sophia asked.  
“She found me!” he laughed at the memory, “I was hiding, but she found me, and made me dance anyway. It was mortifying at the moment, especially when Thor spotted us in the sea of dancers, but on reflection…” he finished his sentence by laughing.  
“See?” Sophia said in between giggles, “Good at laughing and storytelling.” They laughed for a while.  
“I didn’t always laugh this much. I never felt that I should or could, I felt like it was out of my place, out of my character. I laugh considerably more when with you.” Loki said softly.  
“Well that’s just sad. Why when with me?” she leaned on the table, genuinely confused. Loki shook his head and shrugged,  
“I wish I knew. I am relaxed when with you. I feel more at home, more like a part of a family when with you than I ever did on Asgard.”  
“I don’t think that’s true. Thor loves you.” She said.  
“And you think that if I had that, then I had everything?” Loki snapped, “That it mattered not that my friends, really my brother’s friends, looked down on me because of my tricks? My mischief? When they knew full well that such attributes were simply my nature? The only people I bothered to love were my brother and my mother and now…” he trailed off. He knew things had changed, but he felt that he was not able to admit it. And yet, he felt the phrase in his mouth, and it sort of came out of its own accord, but he meant it. He meant every word when he said it,  
“And now you.”  
Sophia had kept her eyes on his during his rant, never backing down, or hiding from his rage. Loki admired her boldness. But now something lit up in her eyes. A spark went off in them, and although her face said that she was surprised, even frightened by the fact that Loki had just told her for the second time that he loved her, her eyes said that she was elated. She looked down and smiled softly,  
“I’m… I’m glad? How do I even respond to that?” She asked, looking up.  
“Just like that.” Loki smiled at her embarrassment, “Do you still feel no romantic feelings for me?” he asked suddenly.  
“Yup.” Sophia didn’t seem embarrassed or surprised by the question, and answered as if she were expecting to be asked it, “I hope you don’t?” She asked a bit shyer than her response, as if she were almost afraid of the answer.  
“Oh, not yet, darling. Although, if all goes according to plan, I may be in need of a queen one day, and you are proving to be the paragon of a powerful and wise queen.” He smiled menacingly. Sophia threw her head back and laughed. It only offended Loki a little that she regarded his threat as funny.  
“If all goes according to plan, the only thing you’ll be needing is someone to bail you out of jail!” she cried.  
“And would you?” he asked gently.  
“Oh, not yet, darling.” she quoted him,  
“But anyway, I think we began this conversation by my asking you how Asgardians danced.” Sophia said.  
“Ah, yes. Well. That was the only dancing I did. Sometimes my mother would get me to dance with her, and of course, there were spontaneous dances in the taverns.” Loki said absent mindedly.  
“You guys have taverns?” Sophia asked, interested.  
“Ugh. Yes.” Loki groaned, “I never went if I had a choice. They were always crowded and rather dirty. The food and drink was repulsive.” he shuddered, “Thor insisted we go whenever celebrating a victory, because we had to celebrate with the men who fought alongside us. It was for political reasons, I understood that, but that did not make it enjoyable.”  
Sophia nodded knowingly, “I know exactly what you mean. I was scarred the first time I set foot in one, it was so…” she shook her head, looking for the right words, “low…” she shrugged. Loki nodded, understanding what she meant,  
“The men there seemed to stoop low, drinking warm beer in a pigsty of a place.”  
“Exactly!” she nodded vigorously and held out her hand as if gesturing to his correctness, “But, Nat’s always trying to get me to go in and practice blending in and seducing. It’s rather easy on a guy that’s drunk, and there to hook up anyway. She usually just takes me there to refresh my skills. It’s never a challenge.”  
Loki listened intently. Normally, he would have found this discussion boring, but Sophia seemed to make it interesting. They fell silent. Loki looked up slyly. It made Sophia a little nervous.  
“All these questions of Asgardian dancing… If I didn’t know better, I might believe you desire to learn these dances. I’d be happy to teach you, child.”  
The color left Sophia’s face then, “aheh… but you know better… right?”  
He only smiled in response.  
“Jarvis, play a waltz piece.” He stood and turned off Sophia’s music.  
“Oh gosh, you’re actually doing it.” she said shakily. Loki didn’t know why he wanted to teach her to dance so desperately. Perhaps it reminded him of his mother, perhaps he wanted to see her embarrassed again. Perhaps he wanted to see her progress from clumsily stumbling around, probably stepping on his feet, to a graceful dancer, like the many on Asgard. Come to think of it, he wanted to see her with many things from Asgard. He wanted to show her the gardens, he wanted to introduce her to a horse and ride with her, he wanted to see her in one of the elegant dresses there, he wanted her to meet his friends, and win them over with her joy, like she had him.  
He strode gallantly towards her and extended his hand, “Dance with me.”  
She looked up at him, then down at his hand, she was afraid, embarrassed, and at the same time curious, and amused. She sighed, shaking her head,  
“Ya dork.” And she took his hand. He pulled her up and led her to the center of the room.  
“Now…” he said, deep in contemplation. Sophia bobbed her knee to the rhythm of the music. Loki shrugged, “We may as well start simple.”  
“Probably for the best. I’m, well you know I’m not the best dancer.”  
“I never said that. Now.” he took her right hand and put it on his shoulder, he took her left hand in his right and set his left hand on her hip. He walked her through the steps of the dance, correcting her where she needed it,  
“Look at me, child, I know it seems strange, but keeping your eyes everywhere but on me makes it even stranger. Trust me.  
I won’t let you stumble. Keep trying.  
That would be my foot, darling.”  
He was very patient with her, and she was persistent, refusing to give up until she was gliding along the floor flawlessly.  
“See? There you are!” Loki exclaimed.  
“Oh wow, I’m actually doing it…” Sophia’s eyes were practically glowing with exuberance. She hardly seemed to be in control of her feet, it was as if they were moving of their own rhythm. They stopped abruptly when Rhodey called them, saying he was meeting Sam for target practice and then coffee, and wondered if they’d like to come. Having been cooped up in the tower all yesterday, Sophia enthusiastically agreed to meet them at the range.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: most of the Asgardian culture is made up  
> fun fact: the mug that Sophia gets Loki is inspired the coffee mug my dad drinks from every day


	12. target practice

“Oh. I didn’t realize you’d be bringing him.” Sam groaned when Sophia and Loki stepped out of one of Tony’s cars.  
“What’d ya think I was gonna do with him?” she asked.  
“She’s grown quite attached to the guy.” Rhodey teased.  
“And how exactly would you know that? And what would be wrong with that?” she asked.  
“Soph, he killed 80 people in two days.” Sam earnestly said. Sophia seemed to be in shock,  
“Whaaaaat? He did what?! Loki, why didn’t you tell me!?” She placed a hand over her heart and looked at him, seemingly surprised. Loki rolled his eyes at her.  
“Ok, ok I get it.” Sam raised his hands in surrender.  
“Least we could use him for target practice.” Rhodey snickered to Sam.  
“What?” Loki was not amused. Sophia was silent a moment.  
“Actually… that might work!”  
“Wait, seriously?” They all exclaimed. Now they all were confused.  
“Using illusions!” She excitedly dragged them to the center of the field, arranging them so that they were surrounding Loki, facing out. Loki used his magic to make illusions of enemies approach them. He got creative of which enemies attacked. Some were agents of Hydra, Some were frost giants, some dark elves, some were of Ultron’s army, and more still were the Chitauri. Whenever a bullet pierced an illusion, the enemy disappeared. Loki had to be careful to make sure none of the enemies were overlapping, otherwise they would be able to kill several with one shot, and only Barton had that ability. By the end, they were all tired, but Loki most of all. They took a break, talking of the imaginary battle they just had.  
“That wasn’t exactly what I had in mind when I said target practice.” Sam shrugged.  
“But was it any less fun?” Sophia asked.  
“More, I’d say. It had the feel of an actual battle. Of course, I’d rather be in the skies, but I’m gonna need to defend myself if I’m ever grounded.”  
Rhodey nodded knowingly. Loki was silent, trying to recover from the large amount of magic he had just expended. Sophia noticed.  
“Was it challenging?” She asked. Both Rhodey and Sam nodded furiously.  
“Then ya did a good job, Loki.” She put a hand on his shoulder. He smiled and nodded at her in thanks. Rhodey and Sam exchanged a look.  
“Ya know, before we go, I’d like to teach Loki to use a pistol.” Sophia said.  
“Absolutely not.” Rhodey shook his head.  
“That is a very bad idea on many levels.” Sam agreed.  
“He has no weapons here on earth. What if he needs to fight?” Sophia asked.  
“Then get him a kitchen knife and some of Barton’s darts.” Sam pressed.  
“Well. I’m in charge of him, and I say he should know how to use one.” she stood and walked to the range. Loki followed.  
Sam and Rhodey looked at one another.  
“I see what you mean, Rhodes.” Sam looked at the ground, rubbing his hands in worry, “What should we do?”  
“What can we do?” Rhodey responded, equally worried, “We know that it’s bad for them, Wanda knows it’s bad for them. But if we told them that, we know they’d ignore us.”  
“Is there anything we can do?” Sam asked  
Rhodey shook his head, “be there for them when it crashes down.”  
They looked at the two. Sophia was showing him how to hold the gun properly.  
“It seems like he cares for her.” Sam noted.  
“I don’t trust him.” Rhodey stated, not taking his eyes off them.  
“I never said I did. But I do trust Sophia.” Sam stood.  
“I better get back home. You guys eat without me.”  
“You sure, man?” Rhodey called after him.  
“Yeah. We can all eat with Vision and Wanda tomorrow. I’ll send out a group message.” Sam turned. Rhodey nodded and looked after Sophia and Loki.

“Why didn’t it fire?” Loki looked at the small gun in his hand. It seemed stiff and mechanical. Not at all elegant and smooth like the weapons he was used to.  
“Um. The saftey’s still on.” Sophia said. Loki sighed at himself, turned off the safety and tried again. This time he was successful. He didn’t flinch when the shot rang out.  
“Great! Let’s see how ya did.” Sophia trotted off to the target.  
Loki was a good shot, despite being somewhat awkward with the weapon. The more he practiced, though, the more and more elegant and easy he made it look. His method of shooting was no different from Rhodes, or Natasha, but he made it seem simple and beautiful, in a way. Sophia was a tiny bit jealous of how elegant he made shooting a gun look. She observed him and how he moved, what he did with his arms hands and legs, even his head, trying to figure out how he did it. She could find nothing different, though, and soon Rhodey was complaining that he was getting hungry.  
They ate at a soup place this time, and afterwards, Sophia and Loki spent the rest of the day at the library, though Rhodey went to check on Wanda and Vision. On their way home, they grabbed fast food and ice cream, not waiting until they got home to eat it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was a bit difficult to describe Loki wielding a gun. I think that he'd make it look like a dance, like he does with all his weapons. Staff, daggers, it's all an art when he uses them. I can only assume that he'd make firing a gun look the same way.  
> Anyone notice the star wars reference?


	13. music

Loki was greeted with music when he stepped out of the bathroom, having just showered. It was a slow piece, in three four meter, a waltz. He heard different instruments, some strings, and some electric guitar. When he entered the kitchen, he saw Sophia standing in the middle. It occurred to him that she was dancing the dance he had taught her earlier that morning. He thought of remaining silent, and seeing how much she remembered, but seeing her dancing alone, when it was meant for two people was painful. When someone started singing, he was drawn to her.  
“So close, no matter how far. Couldn’t be much more from the heart. Forever trust in who we are. And nothing else matters. I never opened myself this way. Life is ours, we live it our way. All these words I don’t just say. And nothing else matters. Trust I seek, and I find in you. Every day for us - something new. Open mind for a different view. And nothing else matters... Never cared for what they do. Never cared for what they know. And I know...”  
He crept up behind her, and placed his hand in the small of her back. He quickly stepped around her and turned towards her, taking her hand.  
“Loki!” She started, but Loki gently shushed her. They easily fell into the dance steps. The music seemed to take over Loki. He was suddenly filled with desperation to hold her and be near her. Perhaps it was the strange mix of metal and orchestra; perhaps it was because the lyrics described everything he was feeling for Sophia. With every step, he tried to draw her closer and closer into his arms, the music made his feet glide intensly over the hard floor as they danced. Sophia did not seem startled by his change in demeanor, and did not resist his actions. The song intensified suddenly, and Loki swallowed, tightening his grip on her even more. As the music sped up, so did their dancing and once the song faded to silence, they slowed to a halt. Sophia looked up at Loki, who was looking pointedly straight forward, mouth slightly parted, still breathing slightly heavily from the emotions the song stirred in him.  
“Well…” She said at length, “I, uh, didn’t know you could be so passionate. It was the music, wasn’t it?” she offered him a way out.  
Loki nodded, “yes, it was very… poignant. I have never heard something so, different... intense and gentle at the same time.”  
Sophia chuckled, “If you liked that, then you should like Metallica. A lot of their songs are like that.”  
They fell silent again. They each realized that they were still in dancing position. Their grip on one another stiffened, as if they realized that they should let go, but they didn’t really want to. Finally, Sophia broke the silence,  
“Should we, um, watch a Star Trek episode?”  
Loki nodded in response, and reluctantly let his hands fall. Moving to the couch, Sophia pulled up the show. Loki sat next to her and watched, not really understanding much of it. He was tired, mostly. She was too.  
When the show ended, they rose silently and walked to their bedrooms. Before she slipped into her room, Loki suddenly spoke,  
“Sleep well, little one.”  
She stopped and looked at him. Strange emotions crossed her face. She smiled, but it seemed like a combination of exasperation, and regret, but love and affection made the look seem sweet,  
“Good night, Loki.” She said gently. Turning shyly, she silently entered her room and closed the door.  
Loki tried to sleep, but couldn’t get Sophia’s face out of his mind. What had her expression meant? What was she feeling? Was she afraid of what she was feeling? Did she not want his affection? He wished he could understand.  
He was afraid of what he was feeling. He knew that he was falling in love with her, but he wasn’t sure what kind of love it was, and he wasn’t even sure if he knew what that meant. All he knew was that he was happy when with her, and that all he wanted was her joy. At the same time, he knew that the best thing for her was to stay as far away from him as possible. If the dangers of being an avenger weren’t enough, he didn’t want her to be in the same danger as Thor put on Jane. He knew better than that, and he loved her too much. He wasn’t sure if he loved her as an attempt at a second chance. He knew that no such thing could be possible. Yet some part of him, some quiet, gentle part of his heart urged him to not give up hope just yet. It made him want to give love a chance, even if he didn’t understand it fully. It made him want to stay with her, and understand what they were each feeling together. And perhaps, he would receive a chance at redemption. It was unlikely, but he was full of hope for himself, and for the future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tony introduced Sophia to Black Sabbath, but Sophia fell in love with Metallica all on her own. The song she plays in this chapter is "Nothing Else Matters" from the album "Metallica" (otherwise known as 'The Black Album'). It was released in 1991. (... and I'm just now making the connection that has to the MCU and I'm terrified. For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, maybe this rings a bell, "Mission report, December 16, 1991...")
> 
> But, this concludes this book in the series. The next book could come out anywhere from tomorrow to next week, but finals are a cruel mistress, so I really wouldn't hold your breath...  
> I do plan to release one-shots of what may have happened between this work and the next, so look out for that I guess, and if you've made it this far, thank you and congratulations! I promise the content and writing quality gets better.  
> -Insaneinlv out!


End file.
